Tuesday, August 28, 2012

NTSB Identification: CEN12CA58514 CFR Part 91: General AviationAccident occurred Tuesday, August 28, 2012 in Brookville, OHProbable Cause Approval Date: 12/05/2012Aircraft: CESSNA 180, registration: N2909AInjuries: 2 Uninjured.NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.The pilot was taking off on runway 27 when the airplane veered off the right side of the runway. The left main gear collapsed, and the left wing was substantially damaged. The closest recorded weather observation facility, which was 11 miles away, reported wind from 010 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 17 knots. Based on the wind condition, the pilot likely did not maintain control of the airplane due to a gusting crosswind.The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the attempted takeoff in gusting crosswind conditions.The pilot was taking off on runway 27 when the airplane veered off the right side of the runway. The left main gear collapsed and the left wing was substantially damaged. The closest recorded weather observation, 11 miles away, reported wind conditions from 010 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot reported there were no mechanical problems with the airplane at the time of the accident.

Two people were not injured Tuesday afternoon when the light
plane they were in rolled off the runway at Bookville Air Park and ended
up with damage to a wing and landing gear.

The pilot, who was with a friend for a joyride, was attempting to
take off when a gust of wind kicked up, said Sgt. Jeff Kramer with the
Ohio Highway Patrol post in Dayton.

When the pilot tried to slow down to attempt a maneuver, the plane
rolled into grass at the end of the runway and a landing gear collapsed.
That caused the plane called a “tail dragger” to tilt, which caused
damage to the wing and the landing gear, Kramer said.

Rescue units and OSP troopers were dispatched at about 4:20 p.m. to
Arlington and Pleasant Plain roads, near the air park in northern
Montgomery County and about a mile north of Interstate 70, on a report
of a light plane that crashed.

The pilot, who was not identified by name, is experienced with more than 3,000 hours of flight time, Kramer said.An investigator from the FAA will document the incident, but the
pilot is not likely to be found at fault because of his experience,
Kramer said.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The West Michigan Aviation Academy is reminding parents they have four opportunities on Wednesday to attend orientation meetings about the schools use of iPads this fall.

In June, the aviation-themed charter high school launched by
businessman Dick DeVos announced plans to provide the Apple iPad 2 to
all its student this fall. Officials expect around 240 students this
school year, when it adds a junior class.

Related:Aviation academy makes leap to iPads
The school, located on the Gerald R. Ford International Airport at 5363
44th St. SE, launched in 2010. In order for a students to receive an
iPad, parents need to attend one of four sessions. The times available
are: 8 to 10 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2 to 4 p.m., and
6 to 8 p.m.

In the two hour orientation session you will learn about iPad care
and use of apps, iPad policies and insurance, digital citizenship,
school year information, and Grand Rapids schools becoming the new food
service provider.

Parents are asked to arrive 15 minutes before their session to register and receive orientation materials.

A bird strike forced the delay of a Philippine Airlines return flight from Tacloban to Manila early Wednesday morning.The PAL flight (PR-191) from Manila to Tacloban was about to land at the Tacloban City Airport when the bird strike occurred, radio dzBB's Sam Nielsen reported.No one among the 94 Tacloban-bound passengers was hurt as the plane landed safely but the plane was grounded at Tacloban while technicians inspected the engines for damage.An initial investigation showed the plane left Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 at 5:45 a.m. and was approaching the Tacloban City Airport's runway when migratory birds flew toward the plane.The pilot managed to land the plane safely at 6:49 a.m. but technicians had to inspect the plane for damage – and delay the flight back to Manila, which was scheduled at 7:30 a.m.PAL offered to rebook the affected passengers, the report said.

Glenn Meeks, it was once said, flew an airplane upside down at 400 feet from Abilene to Baird."That's not true," he told the Reporter-News in 1974. "It was 800 feet."Meeks, a lifelong resident of Abilene and manager of the city's municipal airport for 37 years, died Friday at 85. He was buried Tuesday after a funeral service at Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home's Chapel of Faith.He accepted a temporary job at Abilene's airport, then located at Kinsolving Field where the Abilene Zoo is now, in August 1946 after serving two years in the Pacific in the Navy. Three years later, Feb. 1, 1949, he was appointed airport manager, and served until his retirement Dec. 31, 1986."We are in a very good position today because of the work that he did," Don Green, the city's aviation director, said Tuesday. "We have a great airport layout. He was the manager when this airport was built."Meeks was a charter member and former president of the Texas Airport Managers Association and charter member and former president of the south central chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives. He also served on the Texas Aeronautics Commission and the U.S. Civil Defense Council.A 1944 graduate of Abilene High School, he was born Oct. 17, 1926, the son of the late Mervyn and Ruby (Cannon) Meeks. He and his late wife, Wanda Sue Partridge of Munday, were married April 4, 1947.Survivors include a son, Randall of Plano, and a daughter, Melinda of Bakersfield, Calif. Meeks was a member of Southwest Park Baptist Church.He served as airport manager for 10 city managers, beginning with Boyd J. McDaniel in 1949 and retiring under Ed Seegmiller in 1986.Read more here:http://www.reporternews.com

United Airlines passengers faced delays and long lines after some of its major computer systems and its website failed Tuesday.

The glitch was another in a long string of technology problems that began when United merged computer systems with Continental’s in March.

United acknowledged at least 200 delayed flights. Its passenger reservation system and website stopped working for about two-and-a-half hours on Tuesday afternoon, although the precise cause wasn’t known.

The outage didn’t affect planes in flight.

Passengers in several United hubs reported very long lines at ticket counters. During the outage it stopped sending planes to its hubs in Newark, N.J., and San Francisco.

Alex Belo was waiting at Newark to get on a flight to Mexico City. He considered himself lucky to be behind only 100 or so people waiting to check a bag — because there were another 300 to 400 behind him.

“The line is not moving, or very slowly moving. And they’re giving priority only to first class,” he said.

United said it will not charge the usual change fees for passengers on affected flights who want to cancel or rebook their tickets. It apologized for the disruption.

Simon Duvall spent two hours sitting on his flight waiting for the computer problems to be resolved. People were calm but not happy, he said.

“We’re on a plane, on the tarmac in Las Vegas in the middle of August. It’s warm. It’s uncomfortable. It’s cramped,” he said.

United Continental Holdings Inc. has been struggling with computer issues off and on since March, when it switched to using Continental’s system for tracking passenger information. The two airlines merged in 2010.

Airlines rely on software to know who is filling the seats on its planes, and how many empty seats are available. Those computer systems make it possible to print boarding passes, too.

Rich Pearson, head of marketing at professional freelance site Elance, was stuck in Houston on his way to present at a jobs seminar at the Republican convention in Tampa, Fla.

Planes were lined up on the tarmac. “It’s almost like horseback riding when they are all nose-to-butt,” Pearson said. “It’s like we’ve gone back 50 years.”

“People are relatively calm,” he added. “The customer service area was initially flooded. But they can’t really do anything.”Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com

NEW PHILADELPHIA — In 1929, few people knew what it was like to ride in an airplane. Henry Ford wanted to change that and dreamed up an aircraft that would carry multiple passengers in a comfortable and safe manner. The Ford-Tri-Motor Airplane debuted that year, and became part of the first passenger airlines in the country.

At the time, there were 199 airplanes. Today, there are only three original passenger airliners that continue to transport passengers. And one of them is coming to the Harry Cleaver New Philadelphia Airport on Thursday, courtesy of the local Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) chapter.

Flights will be offered from 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Monday.

“This is a step back in time — in history,” said Terry Henry, the educational hangar chairman for the local EAA. “It’s an extremely rare opportunity,” Henry said. “There are only about three of them flying all over the country.”

There are 10 passenger seats, and one available for a copilot, Henry said. Passengers will be in the air for about 20 minutes experiencing “living history,” as well as enjoying a plane ride, he added.

The flights are part of a fundraiser for the local EAA. Flights cost $80 for an adult, $40 for children 6 to 17, and are free for children under 5. Those wishing to fly in the copilot’s chair will pay $125. Children under 18 must have a guardian present. An all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast will be held Sunday, beginning at 7:30 a.m. It’s $7 for adults and $4 for children under 10.

Henry said there are many people who have never flown before, and this would be a great opportunity for adults and children alike. “It’s inherently exciting,” he said. “You are going to get a chance to look at the world from another perspective.”

Henry began his love affair with planes as a small child, and became a pilot nearly 50 years ago. He still finds flying to be an exhilarating experience. He said the EAA encourages children and adults to take an interest in aviation.

The proceeds from the upcoming events will help the local EAA host programs, such as the Wright Flight for children interested in aviation; a mock search and rescue event with the Civil Air Patrol; and maintaining the facility so people can train for classes.

Henry said the EAA also helps support the New Philadelphia Airport. He said the airport hosts small planes and corporate jets that bring in products or materials for the hospital and local factories. It also trains pilots who may go on to fly commercial airlines. To make reservations, call

877-952-5395 or go online to www.flytheford.com. Passengers should come early for orientation.

Henry said he is hoping for a large turn-out this weekend. “It’s a rare opportunity, this type of aircraft,” Henry said. “It’s a whole different world.”

Athens. Greece on Monday said it was selling one of its three state jets and making the other two available to the national airforce in order to cut defence costs, amid efforts to balance the state budget.

"A 13-seat Embraer airplane will be sold and the proceeds will be used to cover other armed forces needs," the government said in a statement. A second Brazilian-made Embraer will be handed over to the airforce for training purposes and to carry out medical airlifts, the statement said.

The government said it was keeping the third jet, a US-made Gulfstream, for state trips but said this plane too would also be occasionally available to the airforce "in order to avoid wearing out army transport planes". The announcement gave no further detail on the aircraft.

The plane for sale is an EMB-135BJ Legacy, described on the airforce's website as a 15-seater.It was acquired by Greece as an offset for the purchase of Embraer-made flying radars over a decade ago.

Greece is under pressure from the EU and the International Monetary Fund to cut state spending in return for billions of euros (dollars) in loans that are keeping its economy alive.Part of the savings is to come from the defence budget, and the government has also pledged to raise 19 billion euros ($23.8 billion) from the sale of state assets.

ATHENS, Greece Greece's prime minister has decided to get rid of two of the government's three jets as part of the debt-crippled country's cost-cutting efforts. A government statement says Antonis Samaras has instructed officials to hand over the biggest of the planes to the air force, which will use it for pilot training and as a medical transport.

A second Embraer jet will be sold, and the proceeds given to the armed forces - whose budgets have been cut over the past two and a half years of austerity.

Monday's statement says the government will keep the third aircraft, but make it available to the air force when it's not used for state missions.

Greece is being kept solvent by billions in international bailout loans, granted in exchange for stringent spending cuts.Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com

A camera on the International Space Station captured Hurricane Isaac from 253 miles above the earth as it approached the southeast coast of Louisiana. Forecasters say Isaac's effects could reach out 200 miles from its center.

Steamboat Springs — From search and rescue missions and wildlife preservation to crop dusting and power line maintenance, airplanes are an invaluable part of life here in Steamboat Springs according to Chuck Stout, an aviation expert and pilot of 40 years.

And history shows that all of Colorado has a rich aviation history dating back to World War, I when a Sterling-born cowboy named Frederick Libby became America’s first flying ace.

This weekend, Stout will be in Steamboat talking about Colorado’s aviation history and other interesting airplane tales during the eighth annual Wild West Air Fest at Steamboat Springs Airport.

“I think it’s a great way for families to get introduced to aviation,” Stout said about the Wild West Air Fest, which he’s attended in years past. “It’s a great way for the community to recognize the contributions that aviation provides to Steamboat Springs.”

In the heart of local Labor Day weekend festivities, the annual airplane festival takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Steamboat Springs Airport. The cost is $6 for adults and $3 for children, and wristbands are good for both days. Each day, there will be scheduled guest speakers, a radio-controlled airplane show and the chance to explore and maybe even ride in a 1944 Beechcraft D-17S or a Douglas C-47.

“People love it. They come year after year,” said Michelle Krasilinec, a spokeswoman with the Steamboat Chamber Resort Association, which puts on the event. “They come Saturday and Sunday. Maybe you’ll end up talking to a pilot this time. You learn something every time you go.”

To Stout, educating Coloradans and visitors about aviation out West is a vital undertaking. He said the family atmosphere of the Wild West Air Fest — including a Wings Over the Rockies Kidspace full of activities and up-close views of vintage airplanes — can help motivate students in math and science education.

“There’s opportunities for people to take airplane rides, to get up close to real-life airplanes and things that even excite people who have been to airports a lot,” Stout said. “There will be airplanes at the Air Fest that will excite even pilots.”

The Wild West Air Fest will be accompanied by a host of other festive activities on the last official weekend of summer.

The town of Oak Creek hosts Labor Day festivities starting Friday and culminating with a parade Monday morning.

There is a sidewalk sale in downtown Steamboat Springs, the Mainstreet Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning and the annual Rocky Mountain Bull Bash professional bull-riding competition Sunday evening.

Also a Labor Day tradition in Steamboat is the Chuck Wagon Chili Challenge at 11 a.m. Sunday.

“I think it will shape up to be quite a nice weekend,” Krasilinec said. “I think the kids know it’s kind of their last chance to have fun and get out with their families with school starting.”

Wild West Air Fest scheduleSaturday

9 a.m. Gates open

Noon Tribute to the troops

12:15 p.m. Radio-controlled airplane show

1:30 p.m. Retired Cmdr. Ron Pollard, a long-time Steamboat resident, will present a slide show of his 20 year naval career flying carrier jets around the world, including Vietnam.Sunday

Individuals ages 8-17 are invited to take to the skies at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter No. 315 Young Eagles Flight Rally set to begin at 10 a.m. Sept. 8 at Monmouth Executive Airport, Route 34 south, Farmingdale. Guests should enter the airport at the main entrance at the traffic light on Route 34 and follow the white arrows to the building with the blue awning. Rain date is Sept. 9.

Volunteer pilots will be on hand to explain how airplanes fly and how to ensure that safety is the primary consideration before each flight.

Interested young people will be able to take an orientation flight at no charge. Following the free flight, participants will receive a certificate making them official Young Eagles Flight members. The youngsters’ names will then be entered into the “World’s Largest Logbook,” which is on permanent display at the EAA Air Adventure Museum, Oshkosh, Wis.

Registration will begin at 10 a.m. and close at 1 p.m. Flights will begin soon after registration opens. All flights are free of charge and voluntary on the part of the pilots involved.

A registration form signed by a parent or guardian is required. In the event that a parent or guardian cannot be present at the event, forms are available in advance.

Only young people ages 8-17 may participate. Parents and other visitors may be accommodated with a flight if time and the number of available pilots permit.

For more information, a registration form, directions to the airport or to inquire about the status of the rally in case of marginal weather, call Frank Fine at 848-469- 0604.

The rally is part of the EAA Aviation Education Foundation’s Young Eagles program designed to inform youth about general aviation and recreational flying. The original goal was to provide 1 million young people with an airplane ride by the end of 2003, the 100th anniversary of powered flight and the 50th anniversary of the EAA. The goal was achieved, and the program was so successful that it has been continued. More than 1.3 million youngsters have taken a Young Eagles flight.

Volunteer EAA members also conduct Young Eagles flights individually.
Interested young people who are unable to attend the Sept. 8 rally may
log on to www.eaa.org or call Frank Fine for additional information.

http://registry.faa.gov/N5542ZNTSB Identification: ERA12FA514
14 CFR Part 91: General AviationAccident occurred Sunday, August 19, 2012 in Shirley, NYProbable Cause Approval Date: 08/13/2013Aircraft: SOCATA TB 10, registration: N5542ZInjuries: 2 Fatal, 1 Serious.NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.The accident flight was a pre-purchase demonstration of the accident airplane. The buyer intended to examine and photograph the maintenance records then fly the airplane around the airport traffic pattern with the owner. However, the owner insisted that they fly the airplane before reviewing the maintenance records. Upon starting the airplane, the owner announced that he had just been informed by the mechanic of the airplane’s inoperative tachometer but continued to taxi to the runway.Witnesses who observed the airplane’s departure described the takeoff roll as “slow” and “anemic” and stated that the airplane used almost the entire length of the runway to become airborne. The airplane climbed slowly to treetop height in a nose-high attitude and disappeared from view. Moments later, a large smoke plume appeared out of the trees a short distance beyond the airport boundary.A witness who was standing on his back porch facing northeast, about 1.5 miles from the airport, said the airplane appeared above the trees at the back border of his property, flying directly toward him, and that the sound of the engine was "really loud." The airplane descended over his backyard and below the height of his one-story house in a 30-degree left bank. The airplane then pitched up, climbed over the house, and struck a tree and a construction dumpster in front of the house, where it burst into flames. The mechanic stated that the whereabouts of the maintenance records were unknown, but he provided a handwritten list of discrepancies he found and work he performed on the accident airplane, including 3 hours of disassembling and cleaning of the carburetor.Examination of the wreckage revealed that the mixture control cable was disconnected from the carburetor mixture control arm. The cable displayed a light coating of soot, with no damage or fraying of the cable. The cable grip hardware on the mixture control arm was also undamaged, and the cable grip hole was completely open and unobstructed by the cable grip hardware, indicating that the cable had been removed from the arm and had not been reattached before the flight.Although the owner and mechanic had represented the airplane to the buyer as airworthy with a completed annual inspection, they knew this was not the case, as the tachometer was inoperative; further, during a test flight 3 days before the accident, the engine would not produce full power. The pilot complained of the lack of engine power to the mechanic, but the mechanic stated he did nothing to troubleshoot the discrepancy because of the inoperative tachometer and further stated that he had not “signed off” the annual inspection in the maintenance records.The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:The pilot/owner's operation of the airplane with known deficiencies, and the mechanic's failure to reattach the mixture control cable to the mixture control arm following maintenance of the carburetor.HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On August 19, 2012, about 1155 eastern daylight time, a Daher Socata TB10, N5542Z, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees and a construction dumpster during a forced landing after takeoff from Brookhaven Calabro Airport (HWV), Shirley, New York. The certificated private pilot/owner and a passenger were fatally injured, and the pilot-rated passenger, a prospective buyer for the airplane, was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

The purpose of the accident flight was a pre-purchase demonstration of the accident airplane; a Daher Socata TB10 "Tobago." The buyer said that he intended to examine and photograph the maintenance logbooks and the Airworthiness Directives log, then fly the airplane around the airport traffic pattern with the owner. If he was satisfied with the maintenance logs and the performance of the airplane, he was going to order a pre-purchase examination of the airplane from a maintenance facility that specialized in the Socata.

In a postaccident interview, the buyer said he and his wife arrived at Brookhaven Airport, and asked the owner for the maintenance logbooks to examine and photograph. The owner pointed to a table where the logbooks were sitting, but insisted that they fly the airplane first, and examine them afterward. The buyer then placed his camera tripod on the table next to the logbooks, and walked with his wife and the owner to the airplane.

The buyer explained to the owner that he was unfamiliar with the Socata TB10, and asked the owner to perform the engine start and preflight checks. Once the engine was started and the checks completed, the owner stated that the mechanic had just informed him that the tachometer was “unreliable.” The owner then proceeded to taxi the airplane to the runway for takeoff.

The buyer performed the takeoff roll and stated that the airplane’s acceleration was unusually slow, and that the airplane used significantly more runway than he anticipated. At 65 knots indicated airspeed, the buyer attempted to rotate the airplane for takeoff. The airplane lifted off, but immediately settled back onto to the runway. The buyer then relinquished the flight controls to the owner, who continued the takeoff.

The buyer stated that, after lifting off the runway, the airplane “didn’t leave ground effect.” He stated that the airplane would not climb, and was “skimming the treetops.” After reaching an altitude of about 150 feet, the airplane then “broke to the right and entered a classic stall/spin.”

The buyer believed that he was ejected from the airplane during the collision with the trees and the dumpster, and described how he found himself and his wife outside the airplane and on fire.

When asked if he thought to abort the takeoff, he said he started to, and at the same time, he gave the flight controls to the owner. When asked if he thought the owner would abort the takeoff at that point, he said he had no expectation of whether the owner would abort or continue, because he felt that the airplane’s lack of performance was due to his possibly “doing something incorrectly.” As the owner continued the takeoff, another pilot announced over the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency, “Tobago on takeoff, check your carb[uretor] heat.” The buyer said he looked and confirmed that the throttle, mixture, propeller, and carburetor heat controls were all in the “full forward” position.

According to witnesses, their attention was drawn to the airplane during its takeoff roll. The pace was described as "slow" and "anemic" as the airplane used almost the entire length of the 4,000-foot-long runway to become airborne. They described the airplane as it climbed slowly to tree-top height, in a nose-high pitch attitude, and disappeared from view. Moments later, a large smoke plume appeared out of the trees a short distance beyond the airport boundary.

A witness who was standing on his back porch facing northeast, about 1.5 miles from the airport, said the airplane appeared above the trees at the back border of his property, flying directly toward him, and that the sound of the engine was "really loud." The airplane descended over his backyard and below the height of his one-story house in a 30-degree left bank. The airplane then pitched up, climbed over the house, and struck a tree and a construction dumpster in front of the house, where it burst into flames. The witness then described his efforts to extinguish the fire and assist the occupants of the airplane.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot/owner held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate was issued on August 1, 2003. He reported 18 total hours of flight experience on that date. His pilot logbooks were not recovered.

The buyer held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent FAA third class medical certificate was issued on December 12, 2011. Examination of his logbook revealed the pilot had logged 189.8 total hours of flight experience, none of which was in the accident airplane make and model.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1991 and was issued a ferry permit on June 20, 2012, in order to relocate the airplane and perform an annual inspection and other maintenance at HWV. Although the maintenance records were not recovered, the investigation revealed a two-page handwritten list of discrepancies for the airplane, prepared by the mechanic who relocated the airplane to HWV and was performing the maintenance on it. He stated that there were no anomalies with the performance and handling of the airplane on the ferry flight to HWV, but that the tachometer was "intermittent" and appeared to work properly only at high rpm engine settings.

Item number 27 on the mechanic's list was "Carb[uretor] has sediment in bowl – disassemble & clean." The item was checked in the margin and 3 hours of labor was annotated and billed.

The buyer stated that the airplane had been posted on the internet for sale, but that the owner did not reply to several requests to see the airplane and its records. He and his wife flew to Mattituck, New York, where the airplane had been parked for several years, to examine the exterior of the airplane. Afterwards, they continued to try to contact the owner. After several months, the owner finally responded to the buyer and informed him that the airplane had been flown to HWV for an annual inspection and correction of maintenance discrepancies in preparation for its sale.

Prior to the buyer’s examination and test flight of the airplane at HWV, the owner represented to him in emails, text messages, and over the telephone that the annual inspection was completed, that there were no outstanding discrepancies, that the airplane was airworthy, and that it was ready for sale.

FAA inspectors, who responded immediately to the accident site, visited the mechanic at his facility the same day. The inspectors requested the maintenance records of the accident airplane, but the mechanic insisted that he did not possess them, and that he had surrendered them to the owner to "make copies." In a series of interviews with the FAA, as well as a statement submitted through his attorney, the mechanic stated that he did not complete the annual inspection because of the faulty tachometer, and because the pilot had complained about a lack of engine power following a flight in the accident airplane on August 16, 2012, 3 days prior to the accident. He stated that he made no effort to troubleshoot the engine power issue, because the airplane’s tachometer was not operational.

The owner had a friend accompany him on the flight 3 days before the accident. In an interview, the friend explained that the airplane "would not climb properly" and never reached an altitude above 300-400 feet. The friend heard the owner complain to the mechanic that the tachometer was inoperative and that there was "something wrong with the power" that prevented the airplane from climbing normally. A witness to that flight reported to the FAA that he saw the airplane "struggling to get into the air." He described the airplane as "extremely" nose-high and tail-low, "barely" clearing the trees, "struggling" around the traffic pattern, and finally completing a "hard landing." The same witness observed the accident flight, and said that the airplane used the full length of the runway and again had "trouble" taking off.

According to his lawyer, the mechanic brought the airplane into the hangar on the day of the accident for the buyer's inspection, and then subsequently moved the airplane back outside for the owner, and told the owner the airplane "should not be flown." He also briefed the buyer about the features of the "new tach[ometer]" at the request of the owner because the tachometer was inoperative. The owner, the buyer, and his wife then left the hanger, and the airplane was heard to start and taxi away. The mechanic told his lawyer he "never thought" the owner would fly the airplane.

After the accident, the FAA inspectors who responded to the maintenance facility recovered the buyer’s camera tripod from the bed of the pilot/owner's pickup truck. The buyer stated that he placed the tripod next to the maintenance logbooks on a work table in the hangar just prior to the accident flight.

The wreckage was examined at the accident site on August 20, 2012. The airplane was largely consumed by post-crash fire. The airplane struck a tree and a commercial construction dumpster that was parked on a residential street. Several pieces of angularly cut wood were found along the wreckage path.

A review of video footage revealed that, immediately after the crash, the airplane rested inverted on top of the dumpster. As the fire progressed, the remains of the wings, fuselage, empennage, and tail section fell into the dumpster. The cockpit and engine, with propeller attached, fell to the street, inverted, outside the dumpster.

Control cable continuity was established from the cockpit to components identifiable with the flight control surfaces. The cockpit was severely damaged by fire, and no usable evidence was gathered from it. The engine compartment forward of the firewall sustained minor fire damage. The engine cowlings were removed, and the engine displayed soot coatings on external components. Closer inspection revealed that the mixture control cable was disconnected from the carburetor mixture control arm. The cable displayed a light coating of soot, with no damage or fraying of the cable. The cable grip hardware on the mixture control arm was also undamaged, and the cable grip hole was completely open and unobstructed by the cable grip hardware.

The engine was recovered from the scene and examined at HWV. The engine was rotated by hand and continuity was established through the powertrain and valvetrain to the accessory section. Compression was confirmed on all but the number 1 cylinder, due to impact damage to the exhaust pushrod and the valve rocker. The single-drive, dual magneto was removed; rotated by hand, and produced spark at all terminal leads. The engine-driven fuel pump was removed, actuated by hand, and pumped fluid. The carburetor was removed, disassembled, and revealed heat damage to the carburetor floats. Further examination revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical deficiency.

The carburetor mixture control cable was sectioned several inches from the carburetor end. The sectioned cable and the carburetor mixture control arm were sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory, Washington, DC, for examination.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed the toxicological testing for the pilot. The following Tested-for-Drugs were detected:

Nicotine detected in blood and urine. Nicotine is an alkaloid found in tobacco products and is used as an insecticide.Cotanine detected in blood and urine. Cotanine is a metabolite of nicotine.

A 12 percent concentration of carbon monoxide was detected in the pilot's blood. Up to 13 percent concentration can be detected in the blood of heavy smokers. The pilot was also exposed to significant post-crash fire.

The Office of the Medical Examiner, Suffolk County, New York, performed an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was the result of multiple blunt force and thermal injuries.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

On April 12, 2013, an NTSB Senior Materials Engineer examined the carburetor mixture control arm and cable section. According to his report, examination of the cable revealed that the cable had experienced clamping and sliding forces in the clamping area of the cable at some time during its service life, and that the associated contact areas of the attachment hardware similarly displayed signatures consistent with sliding forces. When measured, the minimum diameter of the cable was 0.001 inch less than the clamping space between the washer and the bolt shoulder on the control arm as found at the crash site.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On August 19, 2011, about 1155 eastern daylight time, a Daher Socata TB10, N5542Z, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees and a construction dumpster during a forced landing after takeoff from Brookhaven Calabro Airport (HWV), Shirley, New York. The certificated private pilot/owner and a passenger were fatally injured, and a pilot-rated passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight that was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to witnesses, their attention was drawn to the airplane during its takeoff roll. The pace was described as "slow" and "anemic" as the airplane used almost the entire length of the runway, which was 4,222 feet long, before it took off. They described the airplane as it climbed slowly to tree-top height, in a nose-high pitch attitude, and disappeared from view. Moments later, a large smoke plume appeared out of the trees a short distance beyond the airport boundary.

A witness who stood on his back porch, said the airplane appeared above the trees at the back border of his property, and that the sound of the engine was "really loud." The airplane descended over his back yard and below the height of his one-story house in a left 30-degree bank. The airplane then pitched up, climbed over the house, and struck a tree and a construction dumpster in front of the house, where it burst into flames. The witness then described his efforts to extinguish the fire and assist the occupants of the airplane.

Preliminary radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed the airplane climbed to 200 feet mean sea level (msl) and accelerated to 63 knots groundspeed before the radar target was lost in the vicinity of the crash site.

The pilot/owner held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land. His most recent FAA third class medical certificate was issued on August 1, 2003. He reported 18 total hours of flight experience on that date.

According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1991. More recently, the FAA issued a ferry permit on June 20, 2012, in order to relocate the airplane in order to perform an annual inspection and other maintenance at HWV. The mechanic who ferried the airplane stated that there was nothing wrong with the performance and handling of the airplane on the ferry flight to HWV.

The wreckage was examined at the accident site on August 20, 2012. The airplane was largely consumed by post-crash fire. Control cable continuity was established from the cockpit to components identifiable with the flight control surfaces. The cockpit was severely damaged by fire. The engine was recovered from the scene and examined at HWV. The engine was rotated by hand and continuity, compression, and ignition spark were all confirmed.

GOSHEN, N.Y. -- Donations are now being accepted for the children of
the Goshen couple involved in a plane crash on Long Island earlier this
month.

Jane Unhjem, an assistant superintendent of the Goshen
Central School District, was killed in the crash. Her husband, Erik,
remains hospitalized in serious condition.

Those wishing to donate
can do so in person at the school district's headquarters at the Main
Street Building in Goshen. If you head there you can ask for Ellen
Nutley or Cindy Brown.

A family friend has also set up a web
page where people can donate via Pay-Pal. If you want to contribute
online you can head towww.fundrazr.com.

NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

During the airplane’s initial takeoff climb, two ground witnesses observed the left “gull-wing” entrance door to be open. They reported that when the airplane was about 50 feet above the ground, it entered a series of approximately four pitch oscillations. During the last pitch-down oscillation, the airplane impacted the runway at a steep descent angle and then skidded forward about 500 feet, coming to a stop near the right side of the runway. A postimpact fire ensued. Examination of the airframe, engine, propeller and the door did not reveal any anomalies associated with a preimpact failure or malfunction.The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:The airplane's entry into a pilot-induced oscillation and the pilot’s loss of airplane control during the takeoff initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the left entrance door opening in flight for undetermined reasons.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On August 28, 2012, about 0949 central daylight time, a Lee SQ-2000 experimental airplane, N416, owned and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged during takeoff from Pierre Regional Airport (KPIR), Pierre, South Dakota. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the flight. No flight plan was filed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.

On takeoff leg at about 50 feet above the ground, two witnesses observed the left “gull-wing” entrance door to be open and the airplane enter into a series of four up and down pitch oscillations. During the last pitch down oscillation, the airplane impacted the runway at a steep descent angle.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot of N416, age 69, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. On October 5, 2011, the pilot was issued a limited third-class medical certificate, with the limitation that corrective lenses be worn while flying. At the time of the medical examination, the pilot reported having 330 hours of flight experience, with 2 hours in the last six months.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The accident airplane was a KLS Composites (Kit), SQ-2000, which the pilot purchased on December 25, 2001. The airplane was issued a special airworthiness certificate on March 18, 2004. During April 2012, the pilot completed the installation of a Continental IO-360C engine. The pilot maintained detailed construction records of the accident airplane, to include construction of the “gull-wing” entrance doors. In these records, the pilot wrote that during flight it was very easy to open the doors and had constructed a door lock “clip” to prevent inadvertent opening of the entrance door closing mechanism. In these records, the pilot also described the aircraft being very pitch sensitive.

Following impact with the runway, the airplane slid to a stop on the edge of the runway and a postimpact fire ensued. The distance from initial runway impact to the main wreckage location was about 500 feet.

During examination, the engine crankshaft was rotated and a compression check was confirmed on all cylinders. Propeller impact with the runway resulted in the shredding of over half of the propeller’s diameter. Flight control surfaces were accounted for, although flight control continuity could not be confirmed due to impact and fire damage. Examination of the airframe, engine and propeller did not reveal any anomalies associated with a preimpact failure or malfunction.

Both “gull-wing” entrance doors separated from the airplane during the impact sequence and were not fire damaged. Examination of the left entrance “gull-wing” door revealed a witness mark corresponding to the door closing mechanism in a “partially closed” position. Extensive fire damage of the fuselage surrounding the left entrance door prevented further analysis of door failure.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

On August 30, 2012, an autopsy was performed on the pilot at the Rapid City, South Dakota Regional Hospital. The cause of death was attributed to blunt force injuries. The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology tests on the pilot. No carbon monoxide, cyanide, or drugs were detected in the blood, and no ethanol was detected in vitreous.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On August 28, 2012, about 0949 central daylight time, a Lee SQ-2000 experimental airplane, N416, owned and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged during takeoff from Pierre Regional Airport (KPIR), Pierre, South Dakota. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the flight. No flight plan was filed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.

On takeoff leg at about 50 feet above the ground, two witnesses observed the left “gull-wing” entrance door to be open and the airplane enter into a series of four up and down pitch oscillations. During the last pitch down oscillation, the airplane impacted the runway at a steep descent angle and then skidded forward approximately 500 feet, coming to a stop near the right side of the runway. A post impact fire ensued.

08/27/2012 -
"http://www.sacskyranch.com/vibm.htm indicate that a malfunctioning
hydraulic lifter could cause vibration. So I took all the lifters out
and took them apart. Found one that was stuck with some dirt. Opened all
the lifters, cleaned and oiled them. Reasembled it and its a happy
engine now."

Paul Lee has a website where he documents each step he took to build the plane. He also has a travel log where the most recent post says he recently replaced the plane's engine.

It happened on Runway 13. Isaacs says the aircraft is totally destroyed.

KCCR Radio News Director Tony Mangan reports some people in the area say they heard a crash and saw smoke.

Mangan reports law enforcement blocked off access to the airport at the corner of Northstar and Airport Road.

Isaacs says officials are investigating the scene and they are waiting to confirm if anyone else was on board. Isaacs says the Federal Aviation Administration is on its way to the scene.

The airport remains open.

PIERRE — One person is dead in the crash of a single-engine airplane at the Pierre airport.

Airport Manager Mike Isaacs tells KGFX and KCCR radio that the crash happened at takeoff about 9:45 a.m. today. He says it doesn’t appear that anyone other than the pilot was on board. The pilot was not immediately identified.

Tony Molinaro, a spokesman with the Great Lakes Region FAA, said the plane was a single-engine SQ2000.

Molinaro didn’t know the route of the plane. Though FAA will investigate, it usually turns the investigation over to the the National Transportation Safety Board when a fatality is involved, Molinaro said.

The amateur-built airplane was substantially damaged during landing when it departed the right side of runway 31 and the main landing gear collapsed. The pilot reported that the airplane touched down on the runway, and that "it appeared [to be] a good touchdown." He stated that during the rollout, the airplane felt "rubbery" and "vibrated or appeared to hop." He lost control of the airplane and it subsequently departed the right side of the runway. The pilot noted that the flight was "very turbulent," although it was "a little more manageable" at lower altitudes. The airport manager reported that skid marks observed on the runway appeared to be associated with the right main landing gear of the accident airplane. He stated that the marks started approximately one-quarter of the way down runway 31, near the first taxiway intersection after the displaced threshold. He noted that the marks were intermittent. Each skid mark was about 18 inches long, with clear (non-skid) intervals of approximately 6 feet between them. In addition, the marks appeared to "jump back and forth" laterally from one mark to the next. They appeared to move from side to side about 6 - 8 inches between each mark. He added that the marks veered toward the right side of the runway, and stopped about 200 feet before the point at which the airplane left the pavement. Marks from the accident airplane continued in the grass area adjacent to the runway. He noted that a pin on the right gear brace appeared to have failed and the brace on the left gear had failed. Winds recorded approximately 13 minutes after the accident, at an airport located 11 nautical miles north of the accident site, were from 230 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 20 knots.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:Failure of the right main landing gear assembly during landing and the pilot's subsequent inability to maintain directional control of the airplane. Contributing factors were the collapse of the left and right main landing gear and the gusty, crosswind condition.

FORT
WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - The Fort Wayne Air Show announced Tuesday that
they will be donating all of the proceeds from their pre-show dinner and
concert to the nonprofit organization Wounded Warrior Project.

The
proceeds going towards the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) will support a
full range of programs and services for injured veterans and their
families. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization that is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.

The
Fort Wayne Air Show spans over the entire Labor Day weekend, August 31
to September 2. The event is located at the 122nd Fort Wayne Air
National Guard Base on 3005 W Ferguson Rd. in Fort Wayne.

The
show kicks off Friday evening with a BBQ style dinner followed by an
open air country concert featuring Jason Michael Carroll and local band
Sugar Shot.

The grand finale for the evening will be a pyrotechnically charged aerobatic performance by air show aviators.

Tickets
are $40 for the entire evening on Friday and concert tickets can be
purchased separately for $10. All tickets can be purchased through their
website .

Coast
Guard crewmembers at Station Pensacola received the initial report from
the wife of the missing man at approximately 8:30 p.m., Monday, stating
that her husband was due to return home at 7:30 p.m., but hadn't
arrived.

"The
Coast Guard is making every attempt to relocate the missing person,
however as Tropical Storm Isaac continues to build offshore the
increasing winds and seas make search conditions extremely difficult and
unsafe for aircrews," said Lt. j.g. Timothy Williams, public affairs
officer with Sector Mobile. "As Isaac approaches, Coast Guard aircrews
will temporarily suspend their search efforts until the storm passes and
weather conditions become safe enough to resume the search."

The public is reminded to contact the Coast Guard command center at 251-441-6211 in the event of any marine emergencies.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On August 24, 2012, about 2230 eastern daylight time, a Bell 407, N407N, crashed into South Holston Lake during a night departure from a river bank in Abingdon, Virginia. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged when it impacted the water. The helicopter was registered to and operated by K-VA-T&W-L Aviation LLC under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as a personal flight. Visual night meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

According to a witness in a boat, he watched the helicopter land with the landing light on and the passengers exit the helicopter. The helicopter then departed without the landing light on and turned toward the lake, descended down an embankment, and made a turn over the lake. The helicopter traveled approximately 150 yards when the bottom skids collided with the lake. The helicopter nosed over and made a loud splash. The witness waited for a short moment and then turned on his spot light and moved towards the position of the helicopter. As he moved forward, his boat collided with the tail boom which was floating away from the fuselage. He continued forward and the cabin area was floating upside down.

The helicopter was recovered from the lake and is pending further examination by the NTSB.

Crews have been working all afternoon to bring up the wreckage from Friday night's helicopter crash into South Holston Lake.

The
helicopter cab was retrieved and hooked under a barge earlier today. It
was hauled, under water, to a boat ramp across from Observation Knob
Park, where officials are currently negotiating how to best haul the
wreckage -- largely, the helicopter's cab -- out of the water.

The
body of the pilot, Bill Starnes of Blountville, Tenn., the sole person
on board, was recovered by a dive team Monday. Starnes was taking off
from a private home on the Washington County, Va., side of the lake
after dropping off six passengers from the Food City 250 race Friday
night.

The copter broke apart when it hit the water and was
scattered across the bottom of the lake in depths ranging from 25 to 80
feet, police said earlier.

The cause of the crash has not been determined and investigators said it could take 18 months to complete the investigation.

NTSB Identification: CEN12WA57514 CFR Non-U.S., Non-CommercialAccident occurred Friday, August 24, 2012 in Moorefield, CanadaAircraft: CESSNA 172, registration: C-FNETInjuries: 4 Fatal.On August 24, 2012, about 2030 eastern daylight
time, a Cessna 172S, Canadian registration C-FNET, was substantially
damaged on impact with terrain near Moorefield, Ontario, Canada. The
pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries. Visual
meteorological conditions existed in the vicinity of the accident site.
The local personal flight originated from the Kitchener/Waterloo
Airport.

The investigation of this accident is under the
jurisdiction and control of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
This report is for informational purposes only and contains only
information released by or obtained from the Government of Canada.
Further information pertaining to this incident can be obtained from:

Killed in plane crash. Victoria Margaret Luk, 19, was one of four people killed in a plane crash near Kitchener last Friday night. She was set to enter her third year of industrial engineering studies at the University of Toronto. File photo

The promising life of Mississauga's Victoria Margaret Luk was cut short last Friday night after she was killed in a plane crash with three other people.

Luk, who was about to enter her third year of industrial engineering studies at the University of Toronto, was killed when the Cessna 172 she was a passenger in crashed in a field near Moorefield, north of Kitchener, around 8:30 p.m. Also killed were the plane's pilot, Marko Misic, 20, and passengers Mohammed Shahnawaz Zia, 23, and Wasay Rizwan, 27.

Luk, 19, had just completed her summer internship in the maintenance engineering department at Bombardier Aerospace Commercial Aircraft at Downsview Airport in Toronto. Misic was also an intern, while Zia and Rizwan were full-time employees at Bombardier.

The Globe and Mail reported Luk was going to be a bridesmaid at her sister Vivienne's upcoming wedding. Vivienne told the newspaper the flight was a way to mark the end of summer for the young woman and that Luk had never been flying before.

The four were scheduled to fly from Waterloo to Toronto and Niagara Falls, then back to Waterloo. The reason for the plane crash has not yet been determined.

Bob Connors, the general manager of the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre where the group rented the plane, said Nav Canada officials started a search when the Cessna didn't return on time.

Misic had years of flying experience as a pilot. His brother Tony said Marko obtained his pilot's licence at age 16 and earned his commercial licence at 19.

Christina Peikert, a spokesperson for Bombardier, said the company has its flags at half-staff in honour of the four and it will be providing counselling services for those who worked closely with the victims.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating the crash. A spokesperson for the safety board said investigations of this nature take up to a year to complete.